SERIES: Part Four of a Four-Part Article

As a tactical leader, a true sign of interactive greatness comes from the aftermath of engaging or referring defensive behaviors. Reflecting upon how individuals internalize the involved issues and personalities at the height of their defensive behavior will weigh greatly on the outcome, how they perceive others in the future and others’ perception of them in the future.

To understand the emotional charge that a defensive situation raises, understand that the workplace brain serves two purposes. While the conscious brain serves as the “processing” center for rationalization and new learning, it is the subconscious brain that serves as both the “memory” and “emotional” centers. When diffusing defensive behavior, it is important to remember the conscious brain is about 17 percent of the brain’s capacity, and the subconscious brain is the remainder.

Thus, the subconscious brain is the bully that, in many instances, overrides the conscious brain. Recall past hostile or defensive situations. You will notice people (as it is never seems to be us in the situation…) saying and doing things that inflame a situation. It takes a lot of focused, committed, conscious brain energy to override the sometimes defensive and destructive subconscious brain!

As a leader, recognize that defensive behavior may arise when a person feels professionally:

These intrusions can create scars that may heal quickly with some individuals, but can also create long festering wounds that reveal themselves in future defensive behavior eruptions. These scars reside in that subconscious brain!

As a leader, you will want to tactically engage – in a non-threatening manner when possible – an individual exhibiting defensive behaviors. Consider:

Start with an empathy action or statement, revealing you acknowledge their position.

Do not take an immediate position of agreement or disagreement with the other person – that is what they will be expecting.

Invite them to share plural solutions to the problem that has brought about their defensiveness. Plurality is a powerful tool, as it allows you to engage all parties in civil dialogue. If you solicit for a singular idea, you may merely elevate the level of challenge, and increased defensiveness may (perhaps on your behalf) as a result.

Establish either privately or jointly a follow-up plan to demonstrate you are committed to resolving what raised the defensive behavior in the first place. Continue to ensure the emotional wound heals and the person in question does not digress or attempt to tie in future unrelated issues to this issue.

Make sure you continually avail yourself to them and keep a conscious ear to what is happening in the workplace. This will ensure others don’t antagonize the wound you are attempting to heal.

Healing emotional wounds and ensuring defensive behaviors do not erode an otherwise effective organization is crucial in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive workplace, where people’s emotions are at wit’s end. Your ability to subtly engage individuals when they are defensive to others, allow them to save face and move onward to greater productivity and profitability outcomes is a trait of tactical leadership

SERIES: Part Three of a Four-Part Article

It’s all about egos, competitiveness, saving face, and not being seen as the one having to make a concession that leads to a need to win at any cost!

Many times it is this cost of power struggles that, in the final accounting, leads to significant loss of true gains and wins for the greater whole because individuals get caught up in the minutia of petty struggles. And from there, a pattern develops whereby struggles become the norm. Many studies indicate that men experience these struggles due to a need to be above others in a position of power and influence. For women, these struggles are often caused by the need to be the center of influence and acceptance.

Individuals must rise above the need for power struggles and finesse energies and individuals together for a sense of “oneness” that will allow true greatness to be attained and experienced by all!

For leadership success in the home and workplace, here are ten ways to create “oneness” in the face of a “power struggle”:

Enlarge the final solution to incorporate aspects from all players’ desires, versus an either/or option (you versus me’ism).

Invite plurality of suggestions, versus a this-or-that mentality. From these multiple ideas before implementation, one can gain better perspectives and better final resolutions.

Increase the use of inclusion language (we, us, team, feel, other ideas) that brings people together and makes it more difficult for an individual to create a divisive climate.

Share credit and glory liberally. While in the presence of others and success, make sure the credit and rewards are publicly experienced by all appropriate individuals.

Document heavily when you know you are in the presence of those that tend toward power struggles. For example, in the initial stages of a project launch, send an e-mail, letter, voicemail message, etc.) to all participants about the agreed- upon action plan. Note who specifically owns each piece of that project and send corresponding copies to supervisors and any other influencers that can encourage “oneness” actions.

Disengage and walk away gracefully if you determine your participation, input, or opinion will not have a “significant” influence on the outcome. Many power struggles grow out of individual’s desire for their action plan to be “the” action plan.

Involve a valued and respected elder as the leader of an issue that may lean toward defensive behavior. Let him or her either lead or council you as to exact action plans – and listen!

Break down decision-making responsibility among multiple individuals to avoid any one individual becoming too important or developing an over-inflated view of their net worth to the overall “oneness” of the team.

Limit volatile individuals’ exposure to issues and other individuals that ignite defensive behaviors.

The ability to tactically engage others in the face of impending power implosions and redirect potential negative and destructive energies toward a greater positive outcome is the mark of a true leader in today’s workplace.

These intrusions can create scars that may heal quickly with some individuals, but can also create long festering wounds that reveal themselves in future defensive behavior eruptions. These scars reside in that subconscious brain!

As a leader, you will want to tactically engage – in a non-threatening manner when possible – an individual exhibiting defensive behaviors. Consider:

Start with an empathy action or statement, revealing you acknowledge their position.

Do not take an immediate position of agreement or disagreement with the other person – that is what they will be expecting.

Invite them to share plural solutions to the problem that has brought about their defensiveness. Plurality is a powerful tool, as it allows you to engage all parties in civil dialogue. If you solicit for a singular idea, you may merely elevate the level of challenge, and increased defensiveness may (perhaps on your behalf) as a result.

Establish either privately or jointly a follow-up plan to demonstrate you are committed to resolving what raised the defensive behavior in the first place. Continue to ensure the emotional wound heals and the person in question does not digress or attempt to tie in future unrelated issues to this issue.

Make sure you continually avail yourself to them and keep a conscious ear to what is happening in the workplace. This will ensure others don’t antagonize the wound you are attempting to heal.

Healing emotional wounds and ensuring defensive behaviors do not erode an otherwise effective organization is crucial in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive workplace, where people’s emotions are at wit’s end. Your ability to subtly engage individuals when they are defensive to others, allow them to save face and move onward to greater productivity and profitability outcomes is a trait of tactical leadership.

As a leader, one is measured both on how one strategically approaches responsibilities and how one tactically fulfills each action undertaken. As a leader, the tactics one deploys have a direct affect on the net outcome of any performance, personally or from the team one leads.

In the business world today, the performance of every person in every position must be finely tuned to such a level that everything within a leader’s sphere of influence can be addressed with precision. This will free up one’s mental and physical energies when unexpected circumstances occur.

In studying peak leadership performers today, one will notice there are a minimum of twelve tactical leadership skills that every leader will engage in and every aspiring leader must understand, practice, enhance and deploy:

Decision Making

Meeting Management Effectiveness

Change Management and Facilitation

Attitude Effectiveness and Influence

Communication Effectiveness

Personnel Assessment

Diffusing Defensiveness

Leader as Counselor

Tactical Daily Administration Efficiencies

Conditioning Others for Success

Motivation and Motivating Skills

Deploying Exportable Skills

As a leader, there is a myriad of ways to tactically deliver and execute each of these twelve core leadership Actions, Behaviors or Characteristics. Consider this an essential ABC Plan for effective tactical business leaders in the new marketplace. The ABC Plan represents the following:

A – Actions required by a leader to tactically execute the functionality of any position or task. Also, the actions required of a position or task that an individual will be expected to deploy to be successful.

B – Behaviors required to be possessed by an individual. Also, subsequent competencies or actions needed to fulfill expectations of a position.

C – Characteristics of a peak performer in a position or executing a task.

As you asses your own effective leadership ABC’s, in which of these twelve tactical ABC’s do you feel competent, and which ones may serve as guideposts for improvement? Consider the same assessment as you evaluate your talent pool from which you grow tomorrow’s leaders today.

This concludes ideas on tactical leadership effectiveness. For the entire tactical tools, order the forthcoming hardback, Building a Tactical Leader.

Should you invest in developing the skill set of your human capital and have it potentially leave you, or not provide it with continual skill development and have it remain?

As a tactical leader, the answer is simple. Continually developing “Exportable Performance Players” for your organization is the ingredient that spells success and profitability. No matter which business one is in today, the continual need to refine and fine-tune individuals’ core competency skill sets is a minimal must to be relevant tomorrow.

Recognize the value of an individual to your business as an asset, much like leading- edge technology, equipment, facilities and market share. People are today’s most valuable asset.

Every player within your organizational diagram (whether identified from a global perspective or within individual strategic business units, lines, divisions, departments, areas, etc.) must be seen as an asset. They should be viewed as having unique skill sets that may have specific application to what they do, and these skill sets must also be observed for exportable application.

A tactical leader continually asks whether he or she has created an atmosphere that is conducive for individuals to welcome, embrace and seek out ongoing skill development (technical, non-technical, degreed or non-degreed, certification or non-certification) that would then be exportable with them should they need to make a career transition. Consider:

Can an individual with his or her present skill set make a horizontal move within your organization and bring immediate value to their new team?

Can an individual make a vertical move within your organization and shepherd others to greatness with his or her always relevant skill set?

How exportable are you and those that you lead based upon unique skill sets, experience and performance platforms?

As a tactical leader, you may need to work with other stakeholders within your organization to create an atmosphere in which everyone becomes fanatical about on-going and continuous skill set development. Consider whether your organization has developed peak performers with exportable skills:

Has the executive team willingly embraces skill development initiatives and has defined career development pathways for everyone?

Has the rhetoric of all influencers (management, unions, senior employees and new hires) moved from excuses and nay-saying to outright endorsement and instances whereby everyone welcomes and actively participates in on-going training?

Has the union leadership enthusiastically embraced any training opportunity to make any member/employee more valuable (and thus, exportable) to his or her functionality?

Is the overall attitude of employees to welcome and hold one another accountable to the use of new skills for continually increased efficiencies in everything that is undertaken within an organization?

A few years ago, a study by the American Society for Training and Development revealed that the amount of time organizations inAmericainvested into training initiatives for their human capital was less than two percent of the annual employee work time each year. A true test for today’s tactical leader is to correctly and continually provide the sequential skill improvement and enhancement necessary for each individual to do two critical things:

Become the very best they can be (present tense and future) at the task for which an organization has employed them.

Attain their personal goals, whether within your organization or onward toward another place in life.

Knowing whether or not employees have truly relevant exportable skills can be answered by this question: “If an employee on your present team were to leave you and go to another business unit within your organization or to a new employer, and you were that person now to consider hiring them, would that employee bring with them truly cutting edge skills that could be immediately drawn upon to elevate the level of performance of the new environment?”

A player performing at peak levels of effectiveness is a sign that a great leader has invested daily, tactically and wisely into an individual. A player that can take those skills and move onward, upward or outward and continue his or her reign of success is an even greater testament of great leadership.

We live in a world today that has more negative and discouraging stimulants than ever before. An effective managerial-leadership mindset is to continually model success traits and endlessly encourage others to demonstrate the same.

In many businesses today, an organization’s greatest detriment and enemy is not the economy, government, outside influences, market demands, customers or competition, but rather the unfocused, negative individual that assumes a “terrorist” daily behavior!

To ensure the greatness that resides within each person on your team is regularly showcased and your ability to draw upon individuals as strategic personnel assets is raised, consider:

Task Trait Assignment – Reevaluate which tasks you assign or delegate to individuals based upon which skills and abilities they truly posses versus tasking them out of habit. Psychology teaches us that when an individual does something from which they have a skill base and succeed, their self-esteem rises and, with that, their positive self talk, motivation, passion and commitment!

Demand Solutions – Create a new rule that demands when a problem arises (and it’s inevitable), individuals must present a minimum of two action-oriented solutions!

360 on the Fly – Reestablish the culture and condition individuals to realize that everyone is now expected to regularly share success-oriented feedback with one another. In doing so, only solutions can be raised – never a mere critical analysis. In essence, you are dumbing down the traditional performance assessment approach to player performance improvement between a “boss” and an “employee.” You are also placing this responsibility and growth development action into the hands of everyone, at every level, at any appropriate time!

Learned Behavior Busting – Recognize that when someone uses excuses for non- performance, abdicates work activities, knowing someone else will assume the work, or takes to long to accomplish a task, this person has likely learned how to play the game of avoiding work throughout life. To break both of you from this destructive and corrosive behavior, hold that person accountable in a non-threatening manner.

Tough Love Them – Sometimes individuals on our team carry negative personal baggage and either display it to their professional peers or allow it to impede their productivity. In these instances, visit with them one-on-one, acknowledge the positive contributions they bring to the team and inquire if they realize that there is something interrupting that positive history and reputation, thus discrediting their public image. Allow yourself to be an enabler of success by partnering with them as an advocate for success and a willingness to be a sounding board for them if necessary. If this proves ineffective, elevate the need for a behavior adjustment on behalf by indicating the level of pain, discomfort, loss and trauma they may face if this unwanted behavior continues or elevates.

Champion Them – Determine to where individuals on your team desire to ascend (where do you want to be next year or in five years within this business) and work endlessly and publicly to guide them and nurture them in that direction.

Leaders cultivate championship level attitudes and behaviors from their team, and a leader must occasionally ask him or herself how clued in are they to each individual on their team. Success leaves clues and like attracts like. If winners are what you want, condition individuals to be exactly that – winners.

As a tactical leader, a true sign of interactive greatness comes from the aftermath of engaging or referring defensive behaviors. Reflecting upon how individuals internalize the involved issues and personalities at the height of their defensive behavior will weigh greatly on the outcome, how they perceive others in the future and others’ perception of them in the future.

To understand the emotional charge that a defensive situation raises, understand that the workplace brain serves two purposes. While the conscious brain serves as the “processing” center for rationalization and new learning, it is the subconscious brain that serves as both the “memory” and “emotional” centers. When diffusing defensive behavior, it is important to remember the conscious brain is about 17 percent of the brain’s capacity, and the subconscious brain is the remainder.

Thus, the subconscious brain is the bully that, in many instances, overrides the conscious brain. Recall past hostile or defensive situations. You will notice people (as it is never seems to be us in the situation…) saying and doing things that inflame a situation. It takes a lot of focused, committed, conscious brain energy to override the sometimes defensive and destructive subconscious brain!

As a leader, recognize that defensive behavior may arise when a person feels professionally:

These intrusions can create scars that may heal quickly with some individuals, but can also create long festering wounds that reveal themselves in future defensive behavior eruptions. These scars reside in that subconscious brain!

As a leader, you will want to tactically engage – in a non-threatening manner when possible – an individual exhibiting defensive behaviors. Consider:

Start with an empathy action or statement, revealing you acknowledge their position.

Do not take an immediate position of agreement or disagreement with the other person – that is what they will be expecting.

Invite them to share plural solutions to the problem that has brought about their defensiveness. Plurality is a powerful tool, as it allows you to engage all parties in civil dialogue. If you solicit for a singular idea, you may merely elevate the level of challenge, and increased defensiveness may (perhaps on your behalf) as a result.

Establish either privately or jointly a follow-up plan to demonstrate you are committed to resolving what raised the defensive behavior in the first place. Continue to ensure the emotional wound heals and the person in question does not digress or attempt to tie in future unrelated issues to this issue.

Make sure you continually avail yourself to them and keep a conscious ear to what is happening in the workplace. This will ensure others don’t antagonize the wound you are attempting to heal.

Healing emotional wounds and ensuring defensive behaviors do not erode an otherwise effective organization is crucial in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive workplace, where people’s emotions are at wit’s end. Your ability to subtly engage individuals when they are defensive to others, allow them to save face and move onward to greater productivity and profitability outcomes is a trait of tactical leadership

It’s all about egos, competitiveness, saving face, and not being seen as the one having to make a concession that leads to a need to win at any cost!

Many times it is this cost of power struggles that, in the final accounting, leads to significant loss of true gains and wins for the greater whole because individuals get caught up in the minutia of petty struggles. And from there, a pattern develops whereby struggles become the norm. Many studies indicate that men experience these struggles due to a need to be above others in a position of power and influence. For women, these struggles are often caused by the need to be the center of influence and acceptance.

Individuals must rise above the need for power struggles and finesse energies and individuals together for a sense of “oneness” that will allow true greatness to be attained and experienced by all!

For leadership success in the home and workplace, here are ten ways to create “oneness” in the face of a “power struggle”:

Enlarge the final solution to incorporate aspects from all players’ desires, versus an either/or option (you versus me’ism).

Invite plurality of suggestions, versus a this-or-that mentality. From these multiple ideas before implementation, one can gain better perspectives and better final resolutions.

Increase the use of inclusion language (we, us, team, feel, other ideas) that brings people together and makes it more difficult for an individual to create a divisive climate.

Share credit and glory liberally. While in the presence of others and success, make sure the credit and rewards are publicly experienced by all appropriate individuals.

Document heavily when you know you are in the presence of those that tend toward power struggles. For example, in the initial stages of a project launch, send an e-mail, letter, voicemail message, etc.) to all participants about the agreed- upon action plan. Note who specifically owns each piece of that project and send corresponding copies to supervisors and any other influencers that can encourage “oneness” actions.

Disengage and walk away gracefully if you determine your participation, input, or opinion will not have a “significant” influence on the outcome. Many power struggles grow out of individual’s desire for their action plan to be “the” action plan.

Involve a valued and respected elder as the leader of an issue that may lean toward defensive behavior. Let him or her either lead or council you as to exact action plans – and listen!

Break down decision-making responsibility among multiple individuals to avoid any one individual becoming too important or developing an over-inflated view of their net worth to the overall “oneness” of the team.

Limit volatile individuals’ exposure to issues and other individuals that ignite defensive behaviors.

The ability to tactically engage others in the face of impending power implosions and redirect potential negative and destructive energies toward a greater positive outcome is the mark of a true leader in today’s workplace.

These intrusions can create scars that may heal quickly with some individuals, but can also create long festering wounds that reveal themselves in future defensive behavior eruptions. These scars reside in that subconscious brain!

As a leader, you will want to tactically engage – in a non-threatening manner when possible – an individual exhibiting defensive behaviors. Consider:

Start with an empathy action or statement, revealing you acknowledge their position.

Do not take an immediate position of agreement or disagreement with the other person – that is what they will be expecting.

Invite them to share plural solutions to the problem that has brought about their defensiveness. Plurality is a powerful tool, as it allows you to engage all parties in civil dialogue. If you solicit for a singular idea, you may merely elevate the level of challenge, and increased defensiveness may (perhaps on your behalf) as a result.

Establish either privately or jointly a follow-up plan to demonstrate you are committed to resolving what raised the defensive behavior in the first place. Continue to ensure the emotional wound heals and the person in question does not digress or attempt to tie in future unrelated issues to this issue.

Make sure you continually avail yourself to them and keep a conscious ear to what is happening in the workplace. This will ensure others don’t antagonize the wound you are attempting to heal.

Healing emotional wounds and ensuring defensive behaviors do not erode an otherwise effective organization is crucial in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive workplace, where people’s emotions are at wit’s end. Your ability to subtly engage individuals when they are defensive to others, allow them to save face and move onward to greater productivity and profitability outcomes is a trait of tactical leadership.